Although toy vehicles, such as remote-controlled cars, have proven to be extremely successful and long-lasting products, manufacturers are constantly seeking new ways to make the operation of such vehicles more entertaining and amusing. For example, some manufacturers have produced toy vehicles capable of performing one or more stunts or tricks. One well-known trick is the “wheelie”, which involves raising the front end of the vehicle off the ground and allowing the vehicle to travel forward only upon its rear wheel(s). Another trick involves providing a toy vehicle with a body and chassis sufficiently small so as to fit within planes tangent to opposing sides of the front and rear wheels. Such an arrangement enables the vehicle to be operated in both a normal driving position and an upside-down driving position.
Some manufacturers have produced toy vehicles with mechanisms that cause the toy vehicle to jump off the surface over which it is traveling. These jumping mechanisms tend to be complicated and subject to failure. Furthermore, many of the jumping mechanisms cannot be operated when the toy vehicle lands in an upside-down position. When an incorrect landing occurs, the need to manually place the toy vehicle back to its upright drive position can frustrate a user and make the product less enjoyable. Therefore, Applicants believe there is room for improvement of toy vehicles with jumping mechanisms.